January 7, 2013

LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Kit Announced At CES

Toymaker LEGO is set to announce that a new, $350 Mindstorms EV3 kit will have the ability to talk to Android and iOs devices through Bluetooth wireless connections. That means LEGO bot builders can use the devices as remote controls for their creations, or even make simple programs that are then sent to the robots to control their actions.

LEGOis set to announce today that a new, LEGO Mindstorms EV3 kit will have the ability to talk to Android and iOs devices through Bluetooth wireless connections. This means LEGO builders will soon be able to use mobile devices as remote controls for their robots, or create simple programs that are then sent to the robots to control their actions.

LEGO says the kit will go on sale in the second half of the year. It was announced as the International CES gadget show begins in Las Vegas this week.

Mindstorms EV3 will run on new Linux firmware that's ready for Android and iOS control out of the box, creates an overall more hacker-friendly platform and allows further programming on the core Intelligent Brick itself.

As such there will also be an SD card slot for local storage. A built-in infrared sensor expands the possibilities for a more autonomous design too.

Also new in the Mindstorms EV3 kit is a "two-eyed" infrared sensor that can pick up signals from a small infrared remote and locate it. In the kit, Lego includes the blueprints for a snake robot that uses its eyes to sense if someone is close to its head, in which case it strikes.

LEGO suggests that EV3 bots will be able to follow other moving gadgets, or even their creators, around the room. It should also be the first LEGO bundle with its own 3D construction guide, as a new app built with Autodesk lets builders see the process from every angle. The EV3 line does not ship until the second half of the year, but the company already expects the core unit to sell for $350.